|
 The younger sister of three-times Olympic gold medalist and world
5,000 meters record holder Tirunesh Dibaba, ran the final lap on her
own after the pacemaker dropped out.
Chinese Qu Yunxia's set the previous mark of 3:50.46 in Beijing on
Sept. 11, 1993.
Dibaba, 24, told a news conference she had been confident she could
run a fast time in Monaco after setting an African record of 3:54.11
in Barcelona this season.
She said she had been concentrating on her speed this year and
training with male partners but was to still to decide whether she
would run the 1,500 or 5,000 at next month's Beijing world
championships after Friday's race.
"Most of the girls can't stay with me in training," she said. "It
just has to be guys."
Five personal bests were set in the race and another eight in the
men's 1,500 where Kenyan world champion Asbel Kiprop produced a
stunning display of front running to win in three minutes 26.69
seconds. Only world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj and Bernard
Lagat have ever run faster.
Algeria's Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi was second in a
personal best of 3:28.75, more than two seconds slower than Kiprop.
Britain's European record holder Mo Farah, the Olympic and world
champion over 5,000 and 10,000 meters, chased Kiprop hard but could
never close the gap and eventually finished fourth behind Morocco's
Abdelaati Iguider who also recorded a personal best.
"At the bell I saw 2:31, 2:32 so I knew it could be a very fast
time," said Kiprop. "I admit I would have liked a faster time but
it's great and confirms my shape before Beijing."
The next men's race, the 800 meters, featured a thrilling finish
during which Bosnia's Amel Tuka came from third to first in the
final 50 meters to edge last year's winner and Commonwealth champion
Nijel Amos of Botswana.
Tuka's time of 1:42.51 was a national record and a year's best.
American Justin Gatlin, the fastest man in the world this year, set
a meeting record in the 100 meters when he clocked 9.78 seconds
ahead of another former world champion Tyson Gay.
[to top of second column] |
It was Gatlin's last outing on the track before his expected
showdown with defending champion Usain Bolt at next month's Beijing
world championships.
France's world record holder Renaud Lavillenie, beaten in both his
last two Diamond League meetings, was a popular winner of the men's
pole vault, clearing 5.92 meters before failing three times at 6.02.
Lavillenie, whose brother Valentin broke his hand in training on
Thursday, remains undefeated in Monaco after winning in 2009, 2011
and 2013.
American Joe Kovacs hurled the men's shot put 22.56 meters in the
second round to record the longest distance since 2003 and propel
himself to eighth in the all time list. "Everything was clicking
today," he said.
"A great warmup showed I can do something, I think I can throw even
further."
Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor of the United States
defeated Cuba's world leader Pedro Pablo Pichardo with a meeting
record of 17.75 meters.
Early in the meeting, Gatlin, Gay and Trayvon Bromell combined with
Mike Rodgers to take the U.S. team to an untroubled victory in the
men's 4x100 meters relay with a time of 37.87 seconds.
Olympic champion Allyson Felix did not compete in the women's 200
meters but ran the second leg for the United States 4x100 relay team
who clocked a season's best of 41.96 seconds.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
